#'let the dirt hang heavy in your chest- drag me deeper down below the ground. know that all my love will be your breath- i will save you

[peachyfnaf]

btw chat if i say "Canary in a Coal Mine" is Sun and Nexus coded am I understood or am i just screaming into a void

[martlet-my-beloved]

Let the dirt hang heavy in your chest // Drag me deeper down below the ground // Know that all my love will be your breath // I will save you when the lights go out

so me and @creator-savannah were once again losing our minds over canary!clover analysis soooooo take this

context 1 and context 2 lol

[catamaurrr-star]

LET THE DIRT HANG HEAVY IN YOUR CHEST DRAG ME DEEPER DOWN BELOW THE GROUND KNOW THAT ALL MY LOVE WILL BE YOUR BREATH I WILL SAVE YOU WHEN YOUR LIGHTS GO OUT 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 /lyrics

[triptychgardener]

Let the dirt hang heavy in your chest, drag me deeper down below the ground.

[ceruleanmusings]

Brothers in Arms - Part Two

Fandom: Chronicles of Narnia Requested by: anon Rating: T Genre: Angst Words: 2541 Characters: Peter Pevensie, Edmund Pevensie, Caspian X Summary - Finding himself in over his head, Peter attempts to protect his kingdom no matter the cost.

Previous Part | Final Part | Masterlist

----

Peter thrashed against the sea of hands that fought to hold him down. Rocks and twigs scraped at his back. The jeers and shouts continued to assault him, hitting at him from all sides. Something banged against his head — a fist for a foot, he wasn’t sure. Stars exploded in his vision and his head swam but still he fought. He had to keep fighting.

Wrenching his arm out of the heavy grasp pulling him back, he scrambled around for his sword. His arm flopped down towards his side, searching. A heavy weight began to press down on his legs. He kicked and struck out at any and everything that dare got close to him. His fingers brushed against something cool. Sparks shot at his fingertips and a smile tweaked at the corner of his mouth.

His fingers barely wrapped around the handle of his sword when his fingers were pried backwards. His grunts and groans of pain were swallowed up by the material of the sack over his head — burlap, how original. His hot, shallow breaths smacked him in the face. Beads of sweat rolled down his cheek. He just needed some air. Just a little bit of air...

“Hurry. Grab him! Get him on the cart before his legion arrive,” a raspy voice growled in his ear.

Peter gritted his teeth. If he was going anywhere, it was going to be after a good fight.

Curling his fingers around his sword handle once more, Peter gathered his strength and swung his arm. A painful grunt and a brief tug let him know that Rhindon caught on something. Or someone. Just what he needed.

He reached up, tugging the sack off his head. His eyes blinked rapidly with the onslaught of sunlight, trying to adjust to the brightness. Rolling onto his stomach, he jumped onto his feet. The back of his head throbbed, adrenaline pumped through him but he tightened his grip on his sword and swung it in a mighty arc.

Now he saw them; the rogues with battered faces, scarred skin, wide teeth baring smiles. Save for one. His gloved hand pressed against his cheek and, when he removed it, Peter saw the slice across his cheek, the blood seeping out and sliding down the cure of his jaw.

Peter’s nostrils flared. One quick sweep allowed him to take in their number—nine of them—their size—shorter but packed with muscle—and their armor—none.

Gulping, he clenched his jaw. There weren’t many that were so brazen to go through Narnian lands without some sort of armor to protect themselves. Those that didn’t, he knew, didn’t have much to worry about losing.

Right then. Steeling his nerves, he eyed them.

“You are not welcome in our lands! Leave at once!” He ordered, taking on his High King voice—a deeper, authoritative tone used seldomly. Not even when he spoke to his own kingdom did he resort to such measures.

The scratched rogue laughed, a raspy wheezy laugh. “No, I don’t think so,” he replied. “’Cause, y’see, you can’t tell me what to do.”

“You’re not welcome here!”

The gang of rogues burst into laughter. Peter’s nostrils flared and, all at once, he was taken back to the early days of their Golden Age reign. When foes and visitors alike snickered behind their palms or second guessed his decisions and choices simply because of his age. He grew into the ruling position, not without push-back, but he’d paid his dues hadn’t he?

The lion deep within him roared and pawed at the ground, poised and ready to strike. Lifting his chin, Peter held the gaze of the scratched rogue. The scratched rogue’s laughter stopped and those around him petered out.

“Leave,” Peter snarled.

“I don’t think so,” the scratched rogue replied. He dragged his thumb across the scrape on his cheek, scraping the blood away. He barely glanced at it as he flicked the blood away; it dotted leaves of the underbrush by his feet. “Y’see, you all have it good around here. I figured it was my duty to, ah, lighten the load. Figure you wouldn’t miss some gems and trinkets here and there.”

“You’re killing innocent people!”

The scratched rogue shrugged. “They shouldn’t have resisted.”

The loud roar of a lion rushed in his ears and lit a fire within Peter. He briefly took a step backwards. Everyone seemed to move at once. Shouts and battle cries surrounded him as he turned and ran. Wind tugged at his clothes as he burst through the paths ahead of him. The rogues stayed close on his heels. They were fast, but he had the advantage of knowing the lands.

He ducked aside, charging off the path, ducking and dodging between large rocks that reached upwards to the canopy of leaves above. Something whizzed past his head, a hum buzzing in his ear before the bark on a tree nearest him exploded. He ducked, bits of bark reigning down on his head and shoulders.

He squeezed between a rock, glancing back only to jerk away when the tip of a sword came inches from his nose. He gulped and kept going, eyes darting around for an exit or even a half decent hiding place. There!

As if granting his wishes, he spotted it: a toppled over tree. The base, so large, lifting out of the ground it resembled a bare treetop of its own. Roots pointed in every which way, clumps of dirt hanging on. Peter headed for it, rushing through the tall grass. He scrambled over it and jumped down behind the shield of roots.

His chest heaved and he silently cursed himself for walking off without cover. But it was Narnia, he knew his lands, he knew he was safe. Or at least, he was. Maybe he rested too far on his laurels, believing all the good they were doing for their country and how they protected it. Either way, he needed to get a message back to his family. And fast.

Peter glanced around, searching the trees until he spotted one that appeared to be bathing in a golden glow, all the spotlights of sunlight directed on it. He let out a long breath, briefly closed his eyes while saying a prayer to Aslan, and jumped out of his hiding place.

“There he is! Men, charge!”

Peter raced for the tree, dodging the weapons being thrown around him. He jumped over upturned roots and zig-zagged around trees until he finally reached it. In a swirl of leaves, a figure wrapped up in pearl pink petals appeared before him, floating along.

“My king,” the dryad spirit said, approaching.

“Take news back to the castle. I need the others. And....and please hurry,” Peter said.

“Of course, My King,” the spirit said before disappearing to whence it came.

Standing up straight, Peter turned and faced the rogues that rushed in at him, twirling rope-like weapons over their heads and readying their swords. He brushed the sleeve of his shirt across his mouth and pressed his lips into a line.

He raised his sword, catching a glimpse of his own face reflecting in the blade for a mere second. He closed his eyes, thinking to his sisters, Susan and Lucy, who were left behind at the castle, steadied his nerves, opened his eyes, and charged forward.

-------

Caspian rushed across the castle grounds, his booted footfalls muffled by the lush greens underneath. Wind tugged at his clothes, dragging him, but still he ran. He hadn’t stopped running since he heard the noise. Heard the ambush.

He gritted his teeth. If only he’d followed after Peter sooner, if only he hadn’t taken so much time to sort things out with Edmund before going after the High King, this wouldn’t have happened. If not for the dryad spirit coming to him with a message from Peter himself, he wouldn’t have been there in time. And it was tough, choosing to turn and run for help rather than go into the fight on his own to help. But then, if the dryad spirit hadn’t awoken, who would have known they were there in the first place? Last they heard the rogues were only by the borders, waiting. No one would know to look in the words.

Emboldened by his decision, Caspian continued his sprint. His chest heaved, his lungs burned, but onward he pushed until he reached the base of the castle. A few watchmen shouted at him, at his hurried arrival, but he blew past them, going straight for the one place he knew Edmund would be residing when he needed to clear his head.

And sure enough, Caspian witnessed with brief relief, Edmund sat perched near the edge of the tallest cliff on the grounds, overlooking the vast expanse of the ocean down below. Such a sight usually stopped him in his tracks but he didn’t have time. Peter didn’t have time.

“Come to bring a message from Pete?” Edmund asked. Caspian didn’t miss the curl of disdain appearing on his upper lip as he spoke. “Typical, can’t even face me himself.”

“Ed! Hush! Your brother’s in danger,” Caspian said curtly, causing Edmund’s head to whip around.

For a brief second surprise filtered into his dark eyes before they hardened and his jaw clenched. Standing, his shoulders squared and Caspian could almost see the little gears turning in his head, formulating a plan in an instant.

“How many?”

“Nine as I last saw. Could be more. We’d be beneficial with the archers.”

“I agree,” Edmund replied. “I’ll round up a few of them. Get some of the first division. We need the numbers and the speed now more than strength. Anyone that can help.”

Caspian nodded. “And Susan and Lucy?”

“I’ll alert them myself, you be sure that everyone is ready to leave at once.” Caspian spied a lump sliding down Edmund’s throat when he swallowed. “We may not have a lot of time but...any extra will be enough.”

“Perhaps I should have stayed—”

“We can have this conversation later. Go. Now.”

Edmund was right, of course, but as Caspian went through the motions of gathering up a small unit of Aslan’s Army he couldn’t shrug off his guilt. What would happen if they were too late? At a moment’s notice Caspian had the choice to put his life on the line for his friend and his country and he chose to ran. Would others see it that way as well? Lucy? Susan?

The whistling of wind in his ears as his horse carried him back into the woods drowned out his mind’s doubt. He kept his grip on the reins and kept perfect posture over every jump that they encountered on their way. Edmund rode ahead of him, back straight, form strong. Except for his shoulders. Even beneath his little bit of armor Caspian found them rounded, weary. Caspian pressed his lips together. They would get to Peter in time, he was sure of it.

It wasn’t long before boisterous revelry wafted around them, carrying on the breeze like a bird’s song on the dawn of a new day. It hit Caspian like a cold wave, slamming him around until he took a breath, regained control, and followed Edmund’s signal to charge ahead.

The rogues dropped their bottles of mead, staggering to their feet as Aslan’s Army charged through. Caspian leaned sideways on his horse, catching a running ogue with the end of his sword when he swung. Reaching a clearing, Caspian jumped down from his horse and immediately ran into the foray.

His sword bit and clashed against the staves and daggers wielded against him. He dodged and parried. He ducked and swung, using the fire in his belly as a driving force to keep pushing, keep fighting. A few blows landed on his armor, creating a clang so loud it rattled in his skull but he pushed through.

Out the corner of his eye he spotted Edmund fighting a rogue about the size of a troll and the width of a barrell. A large scratch sliced through his right cheek, staring by his mouth and ending right below his eye. Edmund aimed a kick at its chest only for the rogue to grab his leg and give it a mighty twist. Caspian winced at the crack, followed by Edmund’s scream of anguish.

Arrows flew through the air, piercing the rogue’s arms and chest but it only made him grin. He didn’t slow. Caspian tightened his grip on his sword and charged forward, bringing it down with all his might. The rogue screamed as Caspian’s sword sliced through his arm, coming to a shuttering stop when it hit bone. Blood sprayed outwards, dripping down the length of Caspian’s sword. The rogue dropped Edmund and he fell to the ground with a thud where he immediately curled downwards to grasp his leg and drag himself away.

“For Narnia!” the army cried out as they ran forward, charging like a tidal wave. Caspian took the time to rush to Edmund’s side, managing to avoid the scratched rogue’s swinging arm.

“Don’t worry about me,” Edmund grunted.

“Come. I’ll get you out of here.”

“No. Get Pete!”

Caspian’s heart skipped a beat. “Where—?”

“There...over there,” Edmund managed to utter through his scrunched up face.

Caspian whirled around and saw him, Peter, propped up by a nearby tree. His head lolled forward. He sat still. So still. Caspian swallowed and ran over to him. He lifted Peter’s head, growling beneath his breath as he took in Peter’s banged up face, dried blood caked beneath one nose, and gag wrapped around his mouth. Caspian reached to untie the gag when he looked down and saw that Peter was tied to the tree and around his ankles as well. But it was the darkened patch on his side that made him briefly take pause.

He drew a knife from its holster on his waist and sawed at the ropes until Peter was let free. He slumped sideways and Caspian eased him to the ground. Please. Please. Placing two fingers beneath Peter’s neck, he waited and waited and waited...until finally he felt a pulse. It was weak, but at least it was there.

“Ed, I got him!” Caspian called over his shoulder. Edmund rolled over and struggled to his feet. He nearly fell over again but he managed to stay upwards, dragging his bad leg behind him as he hopped over to Peter. “I got him,” Caspian repeated.

“Pete? Hey, Pete.” Once by his older brother’s side, Edmund started patting Peter’s cheek. A small groan escaped from Peter’s mouth, but his eyes remained closed. “Go. I’ll stay with him.” Edmund lifted his chin over his shoulder where the rogues, now down to five, struggled against the circling Narnian army. The scratched rogue was nowhere to be seen. “Finish this.”

Caspian threw one last glance Peter’s way, pressing his lips together when Edmund leaned forward and rested his forehead against his brother’s. “I’m here, Pete. It’ll be okay,” he murmured.

Relief brought ease to Caspian’s breathing. He brushed sweat away from his brow, gripped his sword, and left the two brothers with an approaching Narnian medic.

[askvenomandthekids]

it takes a monster to raise some kids - chapter 2

Summary: Eddie Brock’s life is already a nightmare with his monstrous alter-ego. Now, throw some two runaway kids into the mix, and things get even crazier for him.

Genre: Family/Friendship/Angst

Warnings: Gore, Graphic Violence 

READ PART ONE HERE

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15697584/chapters/36507144

Most of the time, the symbiote couldn’t understand his human host.

The Other Half was too picky about many things. He was fussy about who they killed and what they ate. He would protest over which humans to kill, and would regurgitate whatever meal Venom consumed. 

This erratic and human behavior, often frustrated the symbiote. Venom never cared what went down their throats, as long as it was delicious carcass. On the other hand, this horrified the Other Half to no end. It made the symbiosis between them so much more difficult. Why must humans have so many taboos and rules and pesky morals?

Bodies are meat, meat is food, and food is sustenance.

However, it does not think itself as cruel, and tries to be reciprocal to the other’s needs. Apparently, the human is obliging to certain types of humans they would kill down as Venom. Secretly, Venom does not quite comprehend this bewildering moral system, who gets to live, who gets to die. At the end of the day, all humans are walking bags of flesh. But, when the symbiote kills these certain types of humans the human deems as unworthy to live, the Other Half complains much, much less. So, both parties reached a compromise.

Last night was one of those nights, where Venom stalked after their unsuspecting prey.

Those particular humans were all dressed in uniformed black, all heavy with the stench of That Place. Remembering That Place brought a white hot fury shared by Venom and the human. ‘Life Foundation,’ is what the Other Half would whisper in their mind, but Venom cares not for names. What was clear was that those humans from That Place, were free lambs for the slaughter.

Venom watched their ignorant prey from the shadows, as they bustled and moved about. Plenty of them swarmed around two black vehicles. While the Other Half pondered what precious cargo they could possibly be guarding, such thoughts had not crossed Venom’s mind. All Venom saw, while he waited hungrily from the shadows, was meat ripe for the taking. They waited together ever so patiently, until the humans from That Place boarded the vehicles and drove off.

And that was when the hunt began.

They launched off their haunches, and sprinted after the vehicles. Each time all four of their feet pounded into the ground, powerful muscles rippled through their body. Venom blindly followed the white sterile and chemical scent from That Place, and never lost sight of the vehicles. Like a prowling lion on the hunt, they darted through wood, dirt, and rocky ground, their sights firmly set on their prey.

They bid their time, until the cars reached a secluded destination in the heart of the wood. A gallows grin too wide for a human face, stretched violently on their lips.

Dining time.

In a dark blur, Venom pounced on one of the two vehicles. It brought its talons down into the metal, and shredded away at the material like it was wrapping paper. The car sharply swerved, and crashed into an oak tree. Sirens began to wail, and smoke clouded the metal wreckage. Two humans emerged from the front, coughing and swearing.

“Shit, what happened?”

“I dunno, I heard something on the roof...it sounded like screeching…?”

“You heard that too?”

The humans murmured to each other, a shared sense of subtle anxiety growing between them. Venom crept up to them, hanging upside down from the branches above. Delicious, succulent fear. Involuntarily, saliva dribbled from Venom’s mouth. They dripped onto the humans below.

One of them pulled out a flashlight, and shined it above to get a better view.

This was the last thing both of the poor bastards saw. A wide and gaping maw, filled with a countless number of serrated teeth, came upon them. They didn’t even have a chance to scream, and Venom chomped their heads off in one, clean bite. Warm blood bursts in their mouth. They grumbled, pleased. The heads were always the best part. They exploded so nicely on their tongue.

“F-fuck!”

Something sharp and metal hit Venom’s meaty shoulder. It hissed, turning its body at inhuman speed. Another human from That Place, cowered before Venom. When Venom made eye contact with this very frightened human, the ant scrambled to get away. He pointed his weapon, a gun, and fired it off like crazy. The bullets hit Venom’s chest, but the symbiotic suit kept the metal from piercing their skin.

Venom growled, displeased. It began advancing towards the human, dragging a long and bloodied tongue across its teeth.

“B-b-back up! We need back up! Come in, hostile force has intercepted the Esper Delivery, I repeat, a hostile force has intercepted - AAAAAAggHHH!”

They went straight for the throat - it was the most tender and sensitive part of the human body, after all. Venom’s hand was so huge, it easily wrapped around the human’s scrawny neck. The man struggled, thrashed, and kicked. What an annoying little bug.

“Please! Please!” Was all the man managed to sputter, before Venom snapped his neck. Bones crunch, and the man’s head bended at an unnatural angle. He stopped moving. Venom couldn’t even decide which part he wanted to consume, before his senses told him there were two other human beings from That Place, attempting to flee the scene. A wicked smile crossed their face.

Oh, Venom liked it when his prey tried to run.

They can never can outrun him.

They ate and ate, filling their stomachs with minced meat and pulverized bone. Perhaps they were being a touch gluttonous, but it was a well deserved meal. More scum wiped off the earth, and a hearty meal for Venom. A successful hunt indeed.

Just when they were polishing the last scraps of meat from their hands, Venom heard a quiet sniffle.

They stopped gorging, and paused.

After a few seconds passed, the sniffle returned, much sharper and louder this time. They cocked their head, and crouched. Where was this sound coming from? Now that Venom was alert, he picked up the soft sniffles coming from one of the trucks, sounds that would’ve been impossible for the human ear to pick up on. Intrigued, Venom prowled over to the truck and stared. They licked their lips greedily, and relished the thought of more humans stowed away in the car. It could always eat more.

Ravenous, Venom dug their talons into the metal and slashed it down.

They unhinged their jaws, until the bone dislocated, prepared to quickly devour the unfortunate passengers.

What stopped Venom was a piercing cry - one belonging to a child.

They froze and their mouth snapped shut.

Inside the truck was a little human girl. She had a round and chubby tear-streaked face. Her innocent brown eyes fearfully stared up at Venom. A hiccup escaped her, similar to the sniffle he heard from earlier. She squeaked in alarm when Venom’s pale eyes looked at her, and backed away deeper into the truck. She curled into a corner, and hid her face into her arms. Soft and pink fear radiated from the child’s small form. The animosity within Venom instantly disappeared.

An innocent. What could an innocent be doing with some humans from That Place? Venom craned their head into the truck.

“POOR, POOR LITTLE ONE. WE’RE NOT HERE TO HURT YOU.”

The child only trembled from Venom’s booming voice. They gingerly reached inside, and scooped up the little girl. She whimpered, and covered her eyes from Venom. Now that they were holding her in their claws, they felt the thrum of her tiny and beating heart within her chest. So fragile, so young. Venom cradled the child. She could be crushed so easily, if he wasn’t careful.

The Other Half’s consciousness surfaced momentarily, and panic seared into their mind.

‘You’re scaring her!'

Suddenly self-conscious, Venom held the child further away from their chest, at arm’s length. She trembled, her small hands balling up into tiny fists.

“T-there a-a-are two of you.” She whispered, wide eyed.

Venom smiled, pleased from the child’s observations.

“YES,” They confirmed.

“Are - are you g-gonna eat me?” She asked in an even smaller voice.

“OF COURSE NOT, LITTLE ONE. YOU HARDLY HAVE ANY MEAT ON YOUR PUNY BONES.”

‘Jesus fucking Christ, that was a horrible thing to say.’

The little one stopped shaking, and paused to study Venom.

“You shouldn’t curse,” She suddenly declared. “Shen said those were bad words.”

Venom tilted their head. The child can hear their conversation? Strange.

“STRANGE LITTLE ONE.”

The Little One glanced around, cautious.

“Are...are the bad men gone?” She asked, in a hushed voice.

Venom tucked the Little One into the crook of their arm. They tapped her little nose, and shook their head.

“I CHASED THE MONSTERS AWAY.”

A tentative smile reached the Little One’s face.

“No,” She giggled. Fear instantly disappeared from her scent. “You’re a monster. Mister Monster.”

Venom grinned back, in an attempt to mirror the child’s mood. Unknown to them, their smile was blood stained and showed too many teeth. At least the Little One calmed down now. It was a nice change, holding a life form that didn’t take one look at Venom and run away, screaming in fear. She tried to peek over their shoulder, but his muscle mass was too bulky.

“Mister Monster, can you get my brother?” The Little One pointed a chubby finger to the other truck. “He’s stuck in there!”

‘Don’t let her see the blood.’ The Other Half cutted in, panicked.

‘DO NOT FRET, WE ATE NEARLY ALL OF IT.’

With the Little One close to their chest, Venom pried the metal off the back of the other truck. Lying inside was another child, a boy older than The Little One. He was slumped over to the side, unconscious.

“Shen!” The little girl cried out, and wriggled out of Venom’s grasp. They set her down, and she clambered to reach her brother’s side.

Venom stared at both of the children, contemplating. Both were innocents from that Other Place. Lost and orphaned innocents. It is only natural, that they take them to their nest.

In that moment, Venom decided that the children was theirs to claim.

[baekyeolife]

Baekyeol Fanfic - The Moon Keeper and The Sun Soldier Part 7

Baekhyun sat on the grass with knees folded into his chest. He stared at the shy stream in front of him and moved his eyes from side to side, causing the tiniest of waves to form and break at his command. He hadn’t been in his mind, though. Thoughts came and sent him into a spiral of regret and deep guilt. He had spent most, if not all, of his afternoon that way.

“Wow… are you doing that with your eyes?” He heard an unfamiliar voice say from behind him, so he turned around and found a man standing with hands to his hips, eyes reaching brows.

Baekhyun stopped the motion and nodded, “Who are you?”

The man walked forward and prompted Baekhyun to stand up. “Oh, sorry. I should’ve started with that.” He scratched the back of his neck, “People call me Weion, but my name is Jongin. I’m here with princess Kyul of the Zarthains.”

Baekhyun looked around as if to see the truth behind his words, “Who is princess Kyul?”

Jongin blinked, stunned at his ignorance. “She is the heir to the Zarthain throne, as well as prince Chanyeol’s suitor.”

He hadn’t known why, but Baekhyun felt a murky sensation cloud his chest. It was heavy and hard, and he didn’t like it at all. How come Chanyeol never told him?

“Prince Chanyeol’s suitor? How come no one is talking about it within the kingdom?” Baekhyun figured that if it was such grand news, then it would have made it to the tongues of all the workers around him.

“They had kept it a secret. It was a backup plan in case the convergence failed, and when it did, Prince Chanyeol avoided any meetings with the Zarthains. So no one had a chance to suspect anything.”

Baekhyun's lips opened. “Oh…”

“But Jongdae tells me that he’s planning an artificial convergence, so I’m here to help.”

Baekhyun looked up at him, realizing then that he had been standing at quite the height compared to him. “How?”

Jongin shone a simper, revealing pearly whites. “I am also a descendant of the moon. I wanted to give you some pointers about water enhancement, but you can move the stream just by the flick of your eyes; I can’t even do that. But you are the moon keeper, so I shouldn't be surprised.”

The corners of Baekhyun’s eyes dragged down, dubious. “Don't think too highly of me. I’m not much of a moon keeper.”

Jongin waved a hand at him, brushing the comment away. “You're still very new to this title, so don't sell yourself short.”

Baekhyun hadn't believed his words, but he couldn't say much as he heard the low faint voice of none other than the prince himself. He turned in expectation, but only saw the grass and the tall bark of trees. He then realized the voice came from inside.

It had been so loud it felt like he was right next to him.

“Can you not realize how rash this is? You have to wait until the artificial convergence at the very least!” Chanyeol sounded beyond furious, and Baekhyun glanced over at Jongin, who happened to turn to him at the same time.

“It’s about the arrangement with the Zarthains, I presume.” Jongin explained, and Baekhyun pulled his lip down to the side, eyes planted to the grass below. He felt utterly terrible. If things had gone the way they were supposed to, none of this would be happening. What a mess he had created.

“How can my own son be so foolish? That is a mockery to our ways and our people! The convergence failed, Chanyeol, and you can’t just summon one at your command!” That snarky voice had definitely been the queen, Baekhyun noted. It made the hole in his stomach expand.

“That’s not good, the queen doesn’t sound too pleased about the artificial convergence.” Jongin stated, brows cut in a line.

“If marrying the heir to the Zarthain throne will end the war, then why is that a bad thing…?”

Jongin gave him a firm look, “Because once The Prince seals his fate with another, you and him will no longer be bound by the sun and the moon. The linkage between the two of you will cease to exist.”

Wind poked his eyes as they widened, not expecting that. “Would I lose my abilities as the moon keeper?”

“Not quite. You will no longer be able to connect with The Prince like you do now. All of the qualities that intertwined you will come to an end.”

Baekhyun felt his shoulders deflate. “So… we won’t be able to heal each other anymore?”

“Not only that-- you two are intertwined in so many different ways. The power you give to each other is very complex, healing is not even half of what you’re able to do for each other. Oh my… I don’t think you know what you two are capable of. ”

And for some reason, that also managed to rip through the mess from within. He hadn’t even discovered these qualities that bound him and Chanyeol together, but they already seemed to be splitting apart.

“I can show you if you would like.” Jongin suddenly offered, and Baekhyun didn’t really care. He was helpless at this point.

Feeling guilty and utterly diminished, Baekhyun decided to see how Chanyeol was doing at such a stressful time. If he had felt that terrible, he couldn’t imagine how Chanyeol was feeling.

The door had been shut when he got to his chambers, and when no answer came after knocking on the hardwood, he turned the knob slowly to peek inside. The room had been empty, so he stepped all the way in and let the door come to a light close.

With furrowed brows, he walked passed the bed that hugged the room together and to the other side of the room, where he opened the double doors into the balcony. There laid a lake that seemed to be… boiling.

Taken aback, Baekhyun approached the strange phenomenon with careful, measured steps. How could a lake boil-- it was something he had never seen before. But he knew one thing: if there was heat, then there had to be Chanyeol. So, he rose his hands and with it came the roaring waters of the lake. The boiling hadn’t stopped as he lifted the liquid, but that didn’t stop him from moving more and more until he reached the dirt of the earth.

Just as he suspected, there had been a latch waiting to be opened. It slowly began to ascend the closer Baekhyun got, so he was able to climb down the latter after it began to close once again. Only then did he let go of the waters of the lake.

Of course this had been a cave, and as he walked down the barely lit path, he wondered why Chanyeol hadn’t showed him this cave as well.

He knew he had been close when he began to hear grunts and the flicker of a flame. When distance was no longer an issue, he came face to face with a steaming Chanyeol, literally. He had a flame pulsing in his hand, arms dusted with ash and flesh reddened to the core. He threw the flame onto the steel wall in front of him, only to conjure up another to give it the same fate as the one that just flashed before his eyes. Over and over again.

His veins had become lava red, shining through the burned skin like a trail of gems. They shone each time Chanyeol formed the balls of fire, and needless to say, Baekhyun was aghast.

“Chanyeol! Stop!” Baekhyun marched over as Chanyeol whipped his body towards him, shock dawning his brows.

“Baekhyun? What are you– how did you get in here?” He was breathing heavily, chest protruding in and out in a quarter of a second.  

“Why does that matter?” Baekhyun looked over him in concern. “What are you even doing? You’re hurting yourself!” He took a moment to inspect the burns scattered all around Chanyeol’s skin, something stinging against his own skin the more he picked out the burns.

He reached a hand out to attempt to heal him, but Chanyeol grabbed his wrist before he could make contact, causing him to flinch. “Don’t. I don’t deserve to heal.”

Baekhyun’s eyes turned down in sadness, “Of course you deserve to heal.” His hand slipped down from his grip, “How can you say that?”

Chanyeol looked away, head hanging. “I'm not fit to be a prince, or a ruler, or whatever these people need me to be. I can't do anything right.”

Baekhyun felt something stab him deep into his insides. It was hard and heavy and piercing, and watching Chanyeol like this only elongated the hurt.

Picking his hand up, he slowly moved it over towards his cheek, where he was relieved that Chanyeol hadn’t swatted him away. Baekhyun picked his head up and made him look at him. “Don't say that, you're doing everything you can. Sometimes you have to be what you need to be, not what everyone wants you to be.”

It was silent for a moment as they took one another in, Chanyeol skimming past the features that made up Baekhyun’s face while he couldn't help but do the same. It was as if their eyes had been doing the talking for them. “Maybe you could think of a plan–”

Chanyeol suddenly grabbed Baekhyun by the small of his back and swept him deep into his embrace, where he dropped his head down against his shoulder and held him tightly. “Can we just… stay like this? Just for a little while?” A low rumble ensued from within Chanyeol’s throat, passing into his ears.

Baekhyun felt something spring throughout his body at the closeness. It had seemed like the flame that blazed throughout Chanyeol’s veins crossed boundaries over into him. Being held by him like this, it was something so liberating and unexplainably tranquil. It felt so right.

So Baekhyun wrapped his arms around the burnt flesh of Chanyeol’s back and leaned into the crook between his neck and shoulder, eyes closing as the beat of his heart took over. Of course, he had wanted to say, but he couldn’t quite use words at such a moment.

Baekhyun felt himself go adrift, a lightness circling about him the longer they held onto one another. It was truly amazing, he thought. How suddenly being inside Chanyeol’s arms transported him to a place far off the ground, to a place of freedom.

He hoped that Chanyeol felt the same way, and by the way he kept tightening his grasp onto him, Baekhyun thought he just might.

Then something unexpected happened. Just as Baekhyun buried himself deeper into Chanyeol’s chest, he felt something… come out of his fingers. It was warm and fluid, like water. He sensed it moving up and onto the surface of the sun soldier’s back.

Having felt this as well, Chanyeol stiffened slightly and pulled back, their lower halves still pressed together but their upper halves having separated. Baekhyun didn’t quite like the feeling of him moving. He almost groaned, but caught himself.

“Wait are you… healing me?” Chanyeol asked, something different having gleamed in his eyes. He had went from angry frustration, to innocent freshness.

Baekhyun blinked and looked at his hands, and found his veins glowing in the color of what seemed to be the ocean. He glanced back up at Chanyeol, dumbfounded. “Am… I?”

“Yes, you are. You’re finally doing it awake.” Chanyeol smiled and his whole demeanor managed to change. He didn't know if it was because he was one with the sun, but he could see the flame fizzle through his eyes. The determination was loud and clear. But what he was determined about, Baekhyun did not know.

_______________________________________

Author’s Note:

Oh my goodness I am so sorry for the long wait >< you would not believe my struggle the past few weeks T-T Not only did I get the flu, but I had to study for horrid midterms on top of that. But at least I finally managed to get part 7 up!  I have no idea how long this will be btw, when I first started this I didn’t really think it would be so long xD Hope it was okay x.x What did you think got into Chanyeol at that last part? :3